Nonspillable measuring spoon



y 15, 1952 J. CORDOVA I 2,603,093

NON-SPILLABLE MEASURING SPOON Filed Dec. 12, 1949 izfgz JflMES6212170102,

INVENTOR.

Patented July 15, 1 952 UNlT-ED STATES area-T "OFFICE 2, 03,093 3fnonsrltmenn MEASURING SPOON V y 7 James Cordova, Long Beach, Calif.(Application December 12, 1949, Serial No. l' 32i5l8 This inventionrelates to a non-spillable measuring spoon.

More specifically speaking, the invention pertains to a spoon fordispensing liquids and handling edible and other substances, which is soconstructed that it will, in a stable non-tiltable manner, maintainitself in a containing position when it is placed upon a horizontalsupporting surface with the bottom side of the bowl of the spoon incontact with such surface.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a spoon of the abovestated character that will be usable in the kitchen as a measuringspoon, or in the sick room to guard against soiling fabrics or clothingby accidental overturning of the spoon when the latter is in use as acontainer for liquids to be dispensed or taken into the mouth; toprovide a more satisfactorily usable measuring spoon; and to provide aspoon having a. main containing portion and a tip portion so related toeach other that, when medicine is placed within said main containingportion it may be accompanied with a sweetener placed in said tipportion, so that patients, particularly children, may be encouraged totake remedies prescribed for them.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafterappear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferredembodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the spoon.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the spoon as it appears from above whensupported upon a horizontal surface as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the spoon supported upon a horizontalsurface with the bottom of the bowl engaging said surface.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the spoon, positioned as shown in Fig. 3,the line 4-4 on the latter view indicating the viewpoint of theobserver.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the spoon on line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, therein is shown a spoon usable formedicinal and other purposes. Said spoon is shown having a bowl '3 withan elliptical brim 8 from one end of which extends a handle 9 of aconventional character.

The bowl of the spoon is exteriorly provided with a flat bottom surfaceI0 adjacent to the handle and farther from the handle with a secondexterior, flat bottom surface II, the latter surface at its front endjoining the bottom surface of a tip portion I2 with which the spoon isprovided. Said tip portion I2 is provided with a slight internaldepression I2a, the use of which will hereinafter be explained.

At their juncture said surfaces In and II form a straight slightlyrounded corner edge or vertex 1 claim. (o1. 73-427) line I3 whichextends at substantially a right angle to the spoons handle and ispositioned to cooperate with the horizontal supporting surface it, tostabilize the spoon against being overturned when the handle of thespoon and said corner edge are contacting said supporting surface, asshown in Fig. 3. The angular relation of said two flat surfaces ispreferably about ninety degrees, being shown in the drawing as slightlymore acute than that. The wall portions of the spoon which overlie saidsurfaces Ill and H form a v-shaped structure and are respectivelydesignated I5 and I6. Of these two wall portions the portion I5 is moresteeply inclined when the spoon is supported on a horizontal surface ina containing position. I

The bowl of the spoon is provided interiorly with a plurality ofquantity indications these being shown as two vertically spaced aparthorizontal ribs I7 and I8 which project interiorly from the wall portionI5 of the bowl of the spoon. When the spoon is supported on a horizontalsurface as shown in Fig. 3 it may be supplied, from a medicine dropper,and the lower mark I8 will denote half a conventional teaspoonful whilethe upper mark I! will indicate a whole teaspoonful.

In the use of the spoon for giving medicine, a bit of honey or othersweetening I2b' (see Fig. 5), may be deposited within the tip depressionI2a of the portion I2 of the spoon to disguise the taste of a dose 20 ofmedicine contained in the lower part of the bowl of the spoon.

Owing to the capacity of the bowl of the spoon being considerablyincreased by widening and deepening it in the manner that has beendescribed, the required measured dose of medicine deposited therein willonly fill the lower part thereof, thus effectively guarding againstspilling or a flowing out that might soil hands, bedding or clothing;Hence the spoon is a valuable id to a nurse or parent in that it can beused to give doses of liquid medicine to children in arms with a minimumdanger of the medicine being spilled upon the clothing.

The claimed inventibn is not limited to the precise external contour ofthe spoon bowl shown provided it is so shaped to provide transversleyspaced apart contact points at opposite sides of its midwidth to engagea horizontal supporting surface.

I claim:

A spoon of the class described having a bowl with an elliptical brimfrom one end portion of which brim integrally extends the spoons handle,said bowl having in it as viewed when supported in a containing positionupon a flat horizontal surface. a deep triangular well between twosubstantially flat vertical triangular side walls, said well having alsotwo substantially flat angularly 3 joined opposed bottom walls, the apexof said well being directed downwardly and having a substantially straght horizontal outer edge which rests upon the supporting surface, saidspoon bowl'having in advance of said well a recessed tip portion inwhich to deposit a sweetener to disguise the taste of a dose of medicinecontained in said well, the aforesaid horizontal outer edge of said wellserving to support the spoon with the contained medicine while saidsweetener is being deposited in said recessed tip portion, andhorizontal ribs carried by the bottom wall adiaeent the handle wherebythe device is usable as a measuring spoon.

JAMES CORDOVA.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 135,590 RobinsonFeb. 4, 1873 265,390 Cosbey Oct. 3, 1882 461,623 Schoch Oct. 20, 1891FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 620,842 Germany Sept. 23, 1934

